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Richard Hermer

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Richard Hermer
KC
Official portrait, 2024
Attorney General for England and Wales
Advocate General for Northern Ireland
Assumed office
5 July 2024
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byVictoria Prentis
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assuming office
TBD
Personal details
Born
Richard Simon Hermer

September 1968 (age 55)
Wales
Political partyLabour
EducationUniversity of Manchester (BA)

Richard Simon Hermer KC (born September 1968)[1] is a British barrister who has served as Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland since July 2024.[2][3][4] He is due to be conferred with a life peerage.[3]

Early life and education

Hermer was born and raised in Wales, and attended Cardiff High School.[5] He studied politics and modern history at the University of Manchester.[6]

Career

Hermer was called to the bar in October 1993,[7] and was appointed Queen's Counsel (QC) in 2009.[4]

In November 2019, Hermer was appointed a Deputy High Court Judge following an open competition by the Judicial Appointments Commission.[8]

Hermer acted for Liberty, a human rights group that argued the Court of Appeal had correctly decided to allow Shamima Begum to return to the UK, which was an intervenor in Begum v Home Secretary.[9][10] In written submissions, he said that the deprivation of citizenship was an "extremely draconian power" which could expose Begum to rendition and targeted drone strikes", stating that the consequences could be "fatal."[11][12]

In July 2023, he acted as an advisor to the Labour Party regarding a proposed Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions bill.[13] In his opinion which was commissioned by David Lammy and Lisa Nandy,[14] Hermer described Clause 1 of the bill as "appallingly badly drafted" and said that the bill would "stifle free speech at home", and also said that it would have a "profoundly detrimental impact" on the ability of the UK to "protect and promote humans rights overseas."[13][15] Conservative MP, Simon Clarke, whilst addressing Communities Secretary Michael Gove, pointed out in the House of Commons that Hermer had authored a chapter in the book titled "Corporate Complicity in Israel's Occupation: Evidence from the London session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine", which Clarke said was edited by some "interesting" people Clarke feared "in the most negative sense", and went on to ask if Hermer was really the "calibre of individual" who should have been advising the opposition.[13] In response, Gove said that Hermer had a "record" in the area and a "record of political commitments" which everyone could see "clearly predisposes him towards a political and particular view" on the question.[13]

In November 2023, Hermer led the legal team and was the barrister for former Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams, following damage claims of £1 brought against Adams and the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) by victims of bombings.[16] In court, he argued that the PIRA was a "unincorporated association" that was "incapable in law of being sued."[16] In a written case outline to Justice Michael Soole, he also argued against the claims of Adams as a "representative" of the PIRA, but did not argue that entire claims against Adams should be struck out.[17] In January 2024, Justice Soole ruled that the claimants could not sue the PIRA or Adams as a "representative", but could continue in a personal capacity.[18][19]

On 5 July 2024, Hermer was appointed Attorney General under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, succeeding Victoria Prentis.[3] His appointment to the position was reported as a surprise,[20][21][22] since Labour MP Emily Thornberry had served in Starmer's shadow cabinet as the Shadow Attorney General.[23][24]

Personal life

Hermer is Jewish.[25] He is fan of Welsh rugby teams.[2] He is a father.[26]

Politics

Hermer donated £5,000 to Keir Starmer's campaign in the 2020 Labour Party Leadership election.[27]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Richard Simon HERMER personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Richard Hermer KC". Matrix Chambers. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Richard Hermer KC appointed as Attorney General". Matrix Chambers. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Deputy High Court Judges 2019 - Judicial Appointments Commission". judicialappointments.gov.uk. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Deputy High Court Judges 2019 - Judicial Appointments Commission". judicialappointments.gov.uk. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  7. ^ Board, The Bar Standards. "Barrister Details - Mr Richard Simon Hermer KC". www.barstandardsboard.org.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Section 9(4) Deputy High Court Judges". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Misuse of extreme powers latest threat to Rule of Law, says Liberty following Shamima Begum ruling". Liberty. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Supreme Court upholds the decision to refuse Shamima Begum leave to enter the UK". Matrix Chambers. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Individuals who join IS pose security risk 'whatever their age', court hears". Yahoo News. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Individuals who join IS pose security risk 'whatever their age', court hears". guernseypress.com. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d Percival, Richard. "Labour's BDS-bill adviser accused of having 'political' record on Israel-Palestine". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Richard Hermer KC publishes opinion on Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill". Matrix Chambers. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  15. ^ Harpin, Lee (3 July 2023). "Top lawyer warns Gove's BDS bill has 'profoundly detrimental impact' on UK human rights stance". Jewish News. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Gerry Adams asks judge to throw out claims against Provisional IRA". BBC News. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Gerry Adams 'trying to stop any attempt to establish links to Provisional IRA'". Yahoo News. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  18. ^ Carroll, Rory; correspondent, Rory Carroll Ireland (19 January 2024). "Three IRA victims in England can sue Gerry Adams in personal capacity, judge rules". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  19. ^ Brown, David (6 July 2024). "Gerry Adams can be sued by IRA bombing victims, High Court judge rules". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  20. ^ Batty, David; Burkett, Pip; Blight, Garry; Herman, Tara (5 July 2024). "Who are the new Labour cabinet?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  21. ^ Sigsworth, Tim; Penna, Dominic (5 July 2024). "UK General Election live: Starmer appoints KC over Emily Thornberry to Attorney General in Labour Cabinet". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  22. ^ Petrakos, Kyriakos (6 July 2024). "Return of the experts: How Timpson and Vallance will strengthen new Cabinet". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  23. ^ "Who's in Keir Starmer's new cabinet?". BBC News. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  24. ^ Steerpike (6 July 2024). "Keir Starmer appoints lawyer who represented Gerry Adams". The Spectator. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  25. ^ "Eminent Jewish lawyers call on Israel to remember its 'international obligations'". LBC. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  26. ^ Tsang, Linda (6 July 2024). "Richard Hermer, QC, who acted for Maha Elgizouli, the mother of one of the Isis 'Beatles'". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  27. ^ "Keir Starmer challenged to publish all campaign donations | Labour party leadership | The Guardian". web.archive.org. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
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